So, what is NextGen?

The goal of the NextGen Bus Study is to design a new bus network that is more relevant, reflective of, and attractive to the residents of LA County. We believe this redesigned network will improve service to current customers, attract new customers and win back past customers.

Why are we doing this?

Simply put, our current bus network carries over 70% of our customers but hasn’t had a major overhaul in 25 years. Since that time, LA County has evolved dramatically. We’ve added over a million residents, many local communities have transformed, and travel patterns have changed. The Metro Rail system barely existed at that time, but now has 105 miles of service and will continue to grow steadily over the next 25 years.

With new transportation options like ride hailing apps and bike share, it’s important that our bus system integrates with all the ways we travel throughout LA County today, with flexibility for the future.

When is it happening?

The entire study is estimated to take about 18 months, with our next generation of bus service going into effect starting in Fall 2019. The NextGen Bus Study consists of four steps. At each stage, the public will be encouraged to actively participate and provide informative and valuable input.

This is all about you. So, we need you as our partners. Every step of the process will include several opportunities for public input, including online platforms, community meetings, telephone town halls, and public outreach.

Check this site regularly for updates. For additional information, email the Project Manager at NextGen@metro.net.

This is a poorly designed survey. For instance, the range of choices offered is constrained. I ranked safety as a priority for the bus system and all but one of the options for improvements to safety involved increased enforcement, which will make the buses feel substantially less safe for a large class of riders.

How about other ideas, like the social services I recently read about in the la times. How about simply having more metro staff working in stations and on buses, so there are eyes site that are not necessarily police. Some cities also have 2 personnel on the bus, a driver and a ticket taker, who also interacts more with the riding public, allowing the driver to concentrate on the road. How about removing the upholstery form the bus seats, so they don’t seem like petri dishes and you can at least see clearly if someone left a surprise behind.

I suspect this whole thing is a cosmetic exercise to get some PR and to get some dubious data to back up ideas that are already deeply ingrained in the broken culture of metro.

Too bad Metro is no longer serving in the San Gabriel Valley area due to Foothill taking over lines. I don’t think this survey won’t improve anything to your bus service. Now I feel bad for taking a bus in LA County. Nice try.